Chain for filing-cabinets, &amp;c.



C. W. ZIMMER & G. W. BENJAMIN. CHAIN FOR FILING GABINBTS, GLC. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2a, 1910.

1,082,298. l Patented Dec. 23.1913.

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CQNRAD W. ZIMMER, 0F BUFFALO, AND GEGRGE W. BENJAMIN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; SAID BENJAMIN ASSIGNOB. TO SAID ZIMMER.

CHAIN FOR FILING-CABINETS, &c.

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To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that we, CONRAD IN. ZIMMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, and GEORGE W'. BENJAMXN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Chains for Filing- Cabinets, &c., of which the following` is a specilication.

This invention relates to a chain which is more particularly designed for use in filing cabinets but which may also be used for other purposes.

It is the object of this invention to produce a chain in which the links cannot be detached from one another while in their normal position and which can only be detached by successively reversing the links from their normal position.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a top plan View of a filing cabinet having its leaves pivotally connected by chains embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken in line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view of two adjacent chain links arranged in their normal position and connected by a pintle. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing one of the links reversed and in position to be detached from the pintle which pivotally connects the same with the adjacent link. Fig. 6 is a detached side view of one of the chain links. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, in line 7 7, Fig 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In Figs. l-3 our improved chain is shown in connection with an account. slip filing cabinet which comprises an inclined bottom A, an upright back wall B arranged at the rear of the bottom, a shelf C pivoted at its lower end to the front end of the bottom and adapted to swing vertically into its upright closed position or into its horizontal open position, two upright side walls D arranged on opposite sides of the bottom, a drawer base Earranged below the bottom, and a plurality of leaves F arranged above the bottom and adapted to be turned for- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application tiled September 28, 1910.

Ilatented I? ec. 23, i913. Serial No. 584,282.

wardly or backwardly for exposing different account slips which are detachably secured to opposite sides of the same by means of clips f. As shown in those figures these leaves are connected at opposite ends of their lower edges by chains which contain our improvements and which are constructed as follows: G represents a plurality of horizontal pintles which are preferably of cylindrical form and one of which is secured to the lower edge of each leaf, which is preferably constructed of sheet metal, by curling the lower edge of the sheet around the central part of the pintle, as shown in Figs. l and 3. Each end of the pintle is provided with a cylindrical head g which is of smaller diameter than that of the central inner body portion of the pintle and this head is connected with the body by a cylindrical neck t which has a diameter smaller than that of the adjacent head.

I represents the links of the chains each of which is provided with a longitudinal slot which has a comparatively narrow part t' extending the greater part of the length of the link and to one end of the same, and an enlarged part y' arranged at the opposite end of the link, so that the slot as a whole has substantially the form of a key hole. The narrow part t' of the slot has parallel sides and equals in width the diameter of the pintle neck 7L. and the enlarged part is preferably of cylindrical form and equals in diameter the head of the pintle.

In assembling the links and the pintles on one side of the leaves a link is first slipped with the enlarged part of its slot over the head of the foremost leaf and then moved rearwardly so that the outer or front end of the narrow part of the slot engages with the neck of the pintle, whereby the link and pintle are prevented from sepa rating in a direction parallel with the axis of the pintle. The head of the pintle of the next rearward leaf is then passed through the enlarged rear part of the slot of the foremost link. Then another link is passed with the enlarged part of its slot over the head of the second pintle while this enlargement is at the front end of the link, as shown in Fig. 5, and then this link is slid lengthwise on the neck and reversed, so that the enlarged part of its slot is at the rear thereof and the outer end of the narrow part thereof is at the front thereof and engages with the neck between the head of the pintle and the rear end ot the next fon ward link, whereby these links and the pintle are interlocked and held against lateral displacement relatively to each other. The remaining links of the chain are then successively applied to the several pintles in like manner, each link being first passed with the large end of its slot over the head of a pintle and then slid lengthwise on the neck and reversed so that the large part of the slot is opposite to the position which it occupied when iirst placing the link on the pintle.

The two chains are preferably attached at their rear ends to the bottom of the cabinet so as to support the leaves and for this purpose the enlarged rear parts of the slots ot' the rearmost links are penetrated by the reduced externally threaded ends lc of a transverse supporting rod K which is larger in diameter than the 4large parts of said slots and which has shoulders Z bearing against the inner side of the rearmost links and screw nuts m applied to the threaded ends 7c and bearing against the outer sides of said links, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The supporting rod is detachably connected with the bottom by engaging the same with rearwardly turned hooks n secured to the upper side of the bottom near the rear end thereof. Vihen the several links of a chain are thus connecte-:l the links cannot get into a position in which the enlarged parts of their slots can slip over the heads of the pintles and become detached. The links, however, are pivotally connected with each other and with the leaves so that the latter may be freely turned forward and backward for exposing the account slips on opposite sides of the different leaves. The vlinks are also tree to slide lengthwise rela tively to each other so far as the length of the narrow parts of the slots thereof will permit, thereby enabling the leaves to be pressed together compactly so that they will take up a minimum amount of room when removed from the cabinet and placed in a safe for greater' security after business hours.

7e claim as our invention:

l. The combination of a plurality of leaves, and means for connecting the several leaves comprising a plurality of links, each link having a slot one end of which is narrow and the other wide and the adjacent links having their opposing ends overlapping each other and one of these ends containing the wide part of a slot and theother the narrow part of a slot, and pintles connecting adjacent links, each pintle supporting a lear" and having a reduced neck passing' through the corresponding wide and narrow parts of the slots in adjacent links, a head arranged on one end of the neck and on one side of the chain adjacent to the outer side of the link having the narrow part or' its slot presented to said neck, and a body arranged at the other end of said neck and arranged on the opposite side or' the chain.

2. The combinationofapluralityof leaves, and means for connecting the several Vleaves comprising a plurality of links, each link having a slot one end of which is narrow and the other wide and the adjacent links having their opposing ends overlapping each other and one of these ends containing' the wide part of a slot and the other the narrow part or" a slot, and pintles connecting cent links, each pintle supporting a leaf and having a reduced neck passing through the corresponding wide and narrow parts of the slots in adjacent links, a head arranged on one end of the neck and on one side of the chain adjacent to the outer side or the link having the narrow part of its slot presented to said neck, and a body arranged at the other end of said neck and arranged on the opposite side of the chain, said neck having a diameter equal to the width of the narrow part of said slots, said head having a diameter equal to the width of the wide part of said slots, and said body having a diameter greater than lthe width of the wide parts of said slots.

2. The combination of two chains each of which comprises a plurality of slotted links, the slot in each link being wide at one end and narrow at the other end and adjacent ends of said links overlapping each other, so that the narrow part of the slot of one link is adjacent to the wide part of the slot of the other link, a plurality of pintle rods each having a body arranged between the opposing inner sides of said chains, reduced necks arranged at opposite ends of the body and each passing through the wide and narrow parts of the slots of two adjacent links of a chain, and heads arranged on the outer ends of said necks and the outer sides of said chains and each having Va diameter greater than the narrow parts of said slots.

4. The combination of two chains each of which comprises a plurality of slotted links, the slot in each link being wide at one end and narrow at the other end andad'jaeent ends of said links overlapping each other so that the narrow part of the slot of one link is adjacent to the wide part of the slot of the other link, a plurality of pintle rods each having a body arranged between the opposing inner sides of said chains, reduced necks arranged at opposite ends of the body and each passing Ythrough the wide and narrow parts of the slots of two adjacent links of a chain, heads arranged on the outer ends of said necks and the outer sides of said chains and each having a diameter greater than the narrow parts of said slots and leaves attached to the bodies of said pintles.

5. The combination of two chains each of which comprises a plurality of slotted links, the slot in each link being wide at one end and narrow at the other end and adjacent ends of said links overlapping each other, so that the narrow part of the slot of one link is adjacent to the wide part ot' the slot of the other link, a plurality of pintle rods each having a body arranged between the opposing inner sides of said chains, reduced necks arranged at opposite ends of the body and each passing through the wide and narrow parts of the slots of two adjacent links oi a chain, heads arranged on the outer ends of said necks and the outer sides of said chains and each having a diameter greater than the narrow parts of said slots and a supporting rod connecting the rearmost links.

6. The combination of two chains each of which comprises a plurality of slotted links, the slot in each link being wide at one end and narrow at the other end and adjacent ends of said links overlapping each other, so that the narrow part of the slot of one link is adjacent to the wide part of the slot of the other link, a plurality of pintle rods each having a body arranged between the opposing inner sides of said chains, reduced necks arranged at opposite ends of the body and each passing through the wide and narrow parts of the slots of two adjacent links of a chain, heads arranged on the outer ends of said necks and the outer sides of said chains and each having a diameter greater than the narrow parts of said slots, leaves attached to the bodies of said pintles, a supporting rod connecting the rearmost links, and a support having hooks which are engaged by said rod.

Witness our hands this 22nd day of September, 1910.

CONRAD W. ZIMMER. GEORGE W. BENJAMIN. Vitnesses:

THEO. L. POPP, ANNA HEIGIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

